Electric switch.



No. 741,168. PATENTED OUT. 18, 1903. J. H. RUSBY.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1902 no MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

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fisefwZHJPun {z I WW0 ATTORNEY N0- 741,168. PATENTED OCT. 13, 1903. J.H. RUSBY.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WITNESSES: INVENTOR Lu 5mm;

mums co mwTouYno" wAs-YNGYON c ATTORNEY Patented October 13, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. RUSBY, OF NUTLEY, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N 0. 741,168, dated October13, 1903.

Serial No. 99,177. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, Josnrn H. RUSBY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Nutley, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a switch which can be readily applied oradjusted in its required position and which can be made shallow or so asto occupy but little space.

The invention resides in the novel features of construction set forth inthe following specification and claims and illustrated in the annexeddrawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the switchsectioned along a: a2, Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a section along y y, Fig. 3.Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the switch, the cover being removed. Fig.4 is a section along 2 a, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an edge view ofcontact-making blades. Fig. 6 is a face view of Fig. 5. Fig. '2' is aplan of the lower face of the cover, and Fig. 8 an end view of Fig. 7.

In the drawings is shown a suitable support a, which may be an outletbox or wall or any suitable rest or supporting means. The switch orrather the switch frame or body I) is made of suitable insulatingmaterial. Porcelain has been found satisfactory and can be given anydesired shape. This switch I; is shown adjustable both laterally andtransverselythat is, adjustable either from side to side in the plane ofthe wall a or in and out of the wall. By having opposite portions or topand bottom ends of the box adjustable independently of one another theswitch after it is applied to its support can be either set as requiredto be brought to exact vertical adjustment or set to be flush orparallel with the wall. A neat and finished appearance can thus besecured without it being necessary to exactly prepare or adjust a seator the support a before the switch is put in place. The adjustableconnection between switchframe I) and support Ct is shown formed bymovable or swinging lugs or connections 0, having seats or forked endsfor the engagement of screws 61 on support a and also tapped for theengagement of the threaded spindles or rotary screws e, carried byswitch I) and forming an adjustable connection between the switch andthe lugs. These rotary screws 6 are held against longitudinal movementin or relatively to switch I), and as these screws or either of them isturned one way or another the switch is adjusted transversely that is,into or out of support (6. In other words, these spindles e might becalled levcling-screws. Swinging one or both the lugs c on pivots d toone side or another will secure lateral adjustment for the switch. Bytightening the screws d the lugs 0 can be fixed against swing oraccidental movement after having been adjusted. The screws eafter havingbeen adjusted can also be fixed or locked against rotation, as presentlyexplained.

A cover or top platef is shown adapted to be secured to or carried bythe switch I; so as to be adjustable therewith-that is, when the switchhas been properly leveled and elevated or sunk thecoverf carried by theswitch will consequently be seated in proper position. The cover isadapted to be secured to the screws 6, the latter being centrally tappedfor the engagement of the cover-securing screws g, so that the cover isconnected to the switch or to the screws e, forming, as it were, part ofthe switch. Said cover when in place is also adapted to lock the screws6 or prevent rotation of the same, said cover having lugs or stops h,Fig. 3, projecting therefrom and engaging the heads or slots of screws 6ec-' centrically or to one side of the central taps. When the coverf isthus secured to screws 6 and the lugs h engage such screws, the latterare locked, and the adjustment of the switch is not liable to beaccidentally disturbed.

The cover f has perforations for the expo sure of the actuating-handleof the switch, which handle can be either buttons or a lever-handle orboth, as known in the trade.

It might be here noted that each rotary spindle e is held in switch 1)against longitudinal. movement by suitable means, such as the ordinaryscrew-head, which can be applied at one end of the spindle, and by awasher or spring and nut applied at the other end of the spindle oragainst the face of the porcelain opposite to that against which thescrew-head sits when the screw is in its place and which nutcan besuitably secured against withdrawal or loss-as, for example, by rivetingor soldering.

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The frame 1) supports or has connected thereto a hearing or plates '6,supporting axles or rock-shafts 7t and Z. The shaft forms a carrier forthe blades 'm. Two pairs of blades are shown, but the description of oneapplies to the other. As the blade m snaps to and from the contact stripor post q the contact is made or broken. The blade m is shown forked orsplit, so that it will straddle asuitable projecting part or strip ofpost q or that such strip, as it were, cuts into blade on for closecontact. The post q is shown with binding-screw r, and a shoulder orflange q forms a stop on the post, so that in wiring the conductor orend of the wire cannot he slipped or push over or past the post so faras to contact with or permanently touch any undesired part of thedevice. Short or wrong circuits are thus avoided.

Of course it is understood in the art that the blades m are suitablyinsulated, as required. By having the shaft 70 provided withinsulating-disksas, for example, porcelain blocks 8to which the blades"In are suitably screwed or secured, such blades can be kept insulated.The edge of each block or disk 8 can be suitably beveled to allow theblades play or lateral bend or spread when crowded onto or straddlingthe tongue or post 41. These disks 8 can be only partly perforated, sothat while shaft 7c can project part way into the disk the latter formsan insulating cap or cover for the respective end of the shaft. Theshaft can have a cross head or arms to which the disk can be secured bysuitable screws 9, Fig. 5, and the blades on can be suitably screwed orsecured to the disks or across the outer faces thereof.

The shaft 70 is shown with a seat portion having a plunger 3 of concaveor cam-face shape and whose stem 8 is guided by the seat or tail 70.This tail 70 also forms a stop, since by striking against one or anotherpoint of bearing 11 this tail limits the rocking of shaft h, andthelever 3 can also act as a stop, since by striking against one oranother of the lugs or projections 1, Fig. 2, this lever limits the playof shaft Z and the tail limits the oscillation of shaft 70 with plunger.9. A spring t tends to press this plunger 3 toward plunger 2, seated inlever 3 on fulcrum Z. The spring of plunger 2 is shown at 4. The plunger2 can be prevented from rotating by any suitable cross-pin or othersuitable appliance or by being made angular or non-circular while leftfree to move longitudinally.

Only one spring and plunger could be employed, but by having two thesize and play of each spring can be diminished, which is of advantage asfacilitating the application of the device to a shallow or limitedspace, and besides the liability of breakage is diminished as the playof each spring is lessened.

As the lever 3 is moved to swing its plunger back and forth along trackor plunger 3 to one side or another of center or shaft 70 this shaft isrocked to snap the blades m into or out of circuit.

In case a lever-handle is employed the part 5 of this handle at thepassage slot in plate f is formed as an are about the center ofoscillation Z, so as to keep in close contact with and practically shutthis slot. This handlever can be fixed to lever 3 or be connectedthereto by rack-and-pawl connection, such as is employed to place theprojecting lover or handle part at different angles to lever 3, so as toobtain adjustability.

In case buttons 6 are employed for actuating lever 3 theconnecting-links 7 for these buttons are pivoted both to the levers andto the buttons or to plugs screwed or secured to the buttons, 'so thateach double-pivoted link allows its button to have smooth play throughthe respective perforation in plate f.

As the fulcru ms 7.: Z can be placed parallel and near to one anotherand the plungers .9 and 2 can be made short, the switch can be madeshallow, so as to require comparatively little space for its seating oradjusting.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A switch and centrally-tapped adjusting screws for the switch,combined with coverattaching screws adapted to engage said taps,substantially as described.

2. Aswitch and supporting-lugs combined with rotary screws foradjustably connecting the lugs and switch, said screws being heldagainst longitudinal movement, substantially as described.

3. A switch comprising an actuating-lever, a blade-carrier, a shaft forthe carrier, a plunger mounted in said shaft and engaging with saidlever and bearing-plates for said shaft and lover.

4. A switch comprising an actuating-lever and blade-carrier withspring-pressed plungers, one of the plungers having a face or camportion forming a way for the other plunger, substantially as described.

5. A switch comprising an actuating-lever provided with a plunger, and ablade-carrier having a spring-pressed cam engaged by said "plunger,substantially as described.

6. A switch comprising a blade-carrying shaft, a yielding or springactuated cam seated in said shaft, an actuating-lever for the cam, andbearing-plates for supporting said lever and blade-carrying shaft,substantially as described.

7. A switch comprising a blade-carrying shaft provided with a seatportion having a nose or projection forming a stop, and a yielding ormovable cam mounted in the seat portion and having a stem guided by saidnose, substantially as described.

8. In a switch a bearing, a lever fulcrumed therein, a blade-carryingshaft journaled in said bearing below said lever, and a springactuatedcam seated in said shaft and separate from and engaged and actuated bythe said lever.

9. In a switch a binding-post provided with a tongue, a forked bladefitted to straddle said tongue, a rock-shaft carrying said blade, aspring-actuated cam seated in said rockshaft, a bearing for said shaft,and a lever fulcrumed in said bearing independent of the said shaft.

10. A switch comprising a blade-carrying shaft, bearing-plates for saidshaft, a lever fulcrumed in said plates independent of the shaft, aspring-actuated cam seated in said shaft, a spring-pressed plungerconnected with the lever, operated thereby and adapt ed to engage withsaid cam for actuating it, links pivoted to the lever and buttonscarried by said links.

11. A switch having supporting-lugs, adjusting-screws for the lugs, anda cover adapted to be secured to and to lock the screws againstrotation, substantially as described.

12. A switch having supporting-lugs, centrally-tapped adjusting-screwsfor the lugs, cover-securing screws made to engage the taps, and a coverhaving lugs or stops made to eccentrically engage the adj usting-screwsfor locking the latter, substantially as described.

13. In a switch a bearing, a lever fulcrumed therein, a blade-carryingshaft mounted in said bearing independent of the lever, a cam seated insaid shaft and engaged and actuated by the said lever, and a handle adjustably connected to said lever.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH H. RUSBY.

Witnesses:

OHAs. E. POENSGEN, E. F. KASTENHUBER.

